7 Link Building Challenges: Here’s How We Overcome Them

Link building might be challenging, especially if you are just getting started. 

The tricky part is that your job depends on other people, like the website editors or link exchange partners, meaning that you’re not always in control. 

But, no worries. We’ve been there too! In this guide, we’ll share some common link building challenges we face and how we overcome them. 

Keep reading!

7 Link Building Challenges We Face (+ How We Solve Them)

Below are some of the biggest challenges we’ve dealt with so far. Let’s break them down.

Challenge #1: Lack of Relevant and High-Metric Domains

One challenge is when partners offer irrelevant or low-metric domains for link exchanges. 

Don’t get us wrong. Low metric domains are OK and can bring value as long as the website and content are good. If you’ve explored link building metrics, you should know that not all backlinks are created equal. A backlink from a DR 70 site holds way more weight than one from a DR 30 site.

That’s why we always do our best to get backlinks from high-metric and reputable sources for our clients.

Our Solution

Here’s what we do when there’s a lack of high metrics and relevant domains.

• Asking partners to suggest new domains. 
• Use a 2:1 exchange. Asking for two backlinks from low metric but relevant sites and giving one good backlink from a high metric domain in return.
• If needed, we organize a new backlink outreach to find valuable websites. 

Further reading

So, it’s all about finding new ways to collaborate with partners. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Sometimes it leads to amazing results.

Challenge #2: Rejected Backlinks

Rejected backlinks are yet another challenge in the link builder’s job. 

This is the most frustrating part when you send a link request and receive a message like “Sorry, but your request was rejected.” 

The link rejection reasons can be different, like not following the partner’s guidelines or sending irrelevant text edits. No matter what the reason is, figuring it out is important to turning that “no” into a “yes.”

Our Solution

• First, we try to learn the reason behind each rejection and inform our client success managers who are in charge of link requests.
• Next, we ask our content writers to find the best possible spot in one of the blog articles on a partner’s domain and integrate a client’s keyword naturally. 
• Once the request is ready and it fully meets the partner’s guidelines, we send it and follow up every two or three days to track the progress.

Rejections can be a real hurdle but with a few modifications and persistence, you can often turn things around!

Challenge #3: Losing Key Partners

Losing even one partner is tough for us. Every partnership counts, and when we lose touch with even one of them, it can really set us back. 

This usually happens when someone leaves their job and forgets to pass the information along. However, sometimes even when they CC someone, the new person might not respond. So, we are left with nothing. 

Our Solution

• We search on LinkedIn to find someone else in the company who can help, like an SEO or link building specialist, or someone from the marketing team.
• Once we find relevant people, we do a manual LinkedIn outreach and reestablish the collaboration.

We never let a lost partner mean lost opportunities but try to find a way to keep things moving!

Challenge #4: Poor Communication 

The next on our list of link building challenges is poor communication.

No link building campaign can be successful without strong partnerships, which are built thanks to clear and consistent communication. It is basically what keeps running everything smoothly.

We have more than 1000 partners around the world, and it’s our link builders’ efforts in maintaining strong partner relationships that have helped us build more than 40K backlinks.

But, not all partnerships are smooth. Sometimes partners keep ignoring us or disappearing for days, weeks, and even months without any notice.

Here’s how we deal with these situations. 

Our Solution

• Reach out to the partner via another channel (e.g. email, Slack, LinkedIn, etc.).
• Search for other people working in the same company via LinkedIn and try to reconnect.

Communication is key. So, we do whatever we can to get things done!

Challenge #5: Time Zone Issues

We have partners from different countries, which means we often deal with time zone differences.

For example, when one partner’s workday ends, ours is just beginning. This may cause delays, making backlink requests take longer. But hey, it’s not the end of the world.

Our Solution

• We always plan ahead and set realistic deadlines, so time zone differences don’t slow us down.
• Also, we make sure that the text edits are good and match the partner’s guidelines, so it does not get rejected and cause more delays. 

A little project planning and preparation can help you stay on track, no matter the time zone.

Challenge #6: Partners Owing Too Many Backlinks

There are two types of partners: the good ones and the bad ones. And, yes, you’ll encounter both of them.

So, what makes a partner “red flag for exchanges“? These people usually focus so much on their gains and forget to give anything back.

There’s been many cases where we made our partners’ requests live even though they owed us many backlinks. If you don’t take control over the situation on time, it can easily get out of hand. They will keep ignoring or forgetting your requests. 

But here’s the thing. We always use a backlink management sheet, which tracks everything. It shows who owes what, so we can easily spot any imbalances. Here’s what we do when partners owe too many links.

Our Solution

• First, we send them a friendly reminder when we notice some imbalances, then a warning if the issue keeps going.
• If nothing changes, we remove their backlinks, since such one-sided partnerships don’t last.

Challenge #7: Location-Specific Backlink Requests

We often get requests from partners asking for backlinks from domains with traffic from a specific location like in the examples below.

Why is this a challenge? It’s difficult to find many websites that fit partners’ location criteria. Sure, we can find a few, but this strategy is not going to work in the long run. 

So, what to do next?

Our Solution

• We always try to find websites that fit the partner’s location requirements. 
• If that does not work out, we suggest other high-metric domains that might interest them. Guess what? This approach works quite well.

Closing Thoughts

Link building isn’t the easiest job, but it’s manageable with the right approach.

It’s all about finding a common ground with partners and going for some compromises, just like in every relationship, right? Over time, you’ll figure out how to get along with different people and handle different confusing situations. 

So, keep going and don’t let these challenges hold you back. Good luck!

FAQ about link building challenges